Colorado near top in prison spending
Rocky Mountain News
Published February 28, 2008 at 2:39 p.m.
Updated February 28, 2008 at 2:39 p.m.
Colorado spends a higher percentage of its state budget on prisons than all but three states, according to a new study by the Pew Center on the States.
The study found that 8.8% of Colorado's general fund was spent on corrections in 2007. Only Oregon, Florida and Vermont had higher percentages, the study found. Colorado spent $599 million on corrections last year and had a prison population of 22,841 as of Jan. 1, 2008, the study said. The national average was 6.8%.
In addition, the study found that for every dollar Colorado spent on higher education, the state spent 78 cents on prisons. That ranked as the 11th highest rate in the U.S., the study said.
Pew also calculated that one in every 100 adults in the U.S. were behind bars. However, there are no comparable figures for the states because the national figure includes federal inmates and estimates of jail inmates.
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February 28, 2008
4:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
BetterEducated writes:
Yep!!! Just about last in school spending, just about first in imprisoning our population, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE COINCIDENCE!!!!
February 28, 2008
4:10 p.m.
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sheepherder writes:
It's a free society, people take advantage of that and end up in jail. It's a price we payto protect out free society. Personally, I wish they would lock alot more up.
February 28, 2008
5:05 p.m.
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Diff writes:
Our roads and hiways are going in the dumper - but our prisions Whoo Hooo
or is there someone taking off the top -
either way - THANKS BILL OWENS!
February 28, 2008
5:14 p.m.
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AKuser writes:
Estimated $55 billion spent a year to keep folks behind bars. US has more people behind bars than China. Freethought has it right, majority in prison are non-violent offenders. The war on drugs, the failed policy that just keeps giving. Get those non-violent offenders out of jail and into treatment and our prisons would have plenty of room to keep all the violent offenders locked up and not forced to let the thugs out for 'good behavior'.
February 28, 2008
5:44 p.m.
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snuffalupagus writes:
Yep, and just look how the increase in the prison population is proportional to the amount of illegal aliens in this country. Denver is fast on its way to becoming another gang banger war torn L.A.